Vacuum cleaner cover



May 7, 1963 G. E. AGUILAR VACUUM CLEANER COVER Filed Feb. 3, 1961 FIG.3.

FIG.4.

GILBERT E. AGUILAR IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

3,088,157 VACUUM CLEANER CGVER Gilbert E. Aguilar, 1150 23rd St,Manhattan Beach, Calif. Filed Feb. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 86,924 6 Claims.(Cl. C. 15-323) This invention pertains to a cover and tool holding unitfor association with canister type Vacuum cleaners.

This design provides a low cost unit that fits over any canister typevacuum cleaner, protecting the exterior surface of the cleaner as wellas providing a means for holding tools and other accouterments used witha vacuum cleaner. It includes a shaped, flexible sheet member that fitsover the housing of the cleaner, and is provided with apertures adaptedto receive the shanks of the tools used in connection with the cleaner.A protective sheet element secured to the outer cover is disposed backof each of these apertures for preventing the tool from contacting thesurface of the cleaner casing when it is inserted or removed. Pocketsalso may be provided in the cover for receiving vacuum cleaner filterbags.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a low cost coverunit for protecting and beautifying a vacuum cleaner tank.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unit for convenientlyholding tools, disposable bags or other accessories used in connectionwith a vacuum cleaner.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner coverof extremely simple yet strong construction that is easily manufacturedand used.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cover of this invention as used inconnection with a vacuum cleaner,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 includingtransverse illustration of the tool-receiving apertures and the pocketsin the cover,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 furtherillustrating the tool-receiving arrangement in longitudinal section, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified form ofprotective element in association with the tool receiving aperture.

As shown in FIG. 1 the device of this invention is in the form of acover 1 adapted to fit over the top of the housing 2 of a conventionalvertical tank type vacuum cleaner. Such a vacuum cleaner normally willinclude a base portion 3 and will be supported on wheels 4.

The cover 1 may be constructed of relatively thin flexible material suchas vinyl sheet. Preferably it is given a cup-like contour so that itwill fit down over the top of the vacuum cleaner housing, and the sideportions 5 will hang more or less vertically along the sides of thetank. However, the sheet may be made slightly oversize to permit thecover to be utilized with vacuum cleaner tanks of various dimensions andproportions while still being somewhat complementary to the tank withwhich it is associated.

At the top of the vacuum cleaner tank is a hose 6 and a carrying handle7, access to which is obtained through an opening 8 in the top 9 of thecover. A flap 10 is associated with aperture 9 and usable to partiallycover the opening in certain installations.

In many such vacuum cleaners the hose connection is on the side ratherthan the top as in the version illustrated. Therefore, a substantially-U-shaped recess 11 is included in the side of cover 1 so that it can beassociated with such models and has universal applicability.

On opposite sides of the cover there may be provided 3,088,157 PatentedMay 7, 1963 ice pockets 12 and 13 for receiving and holding disposablevacuum cleaner bags 14, or other objects as desired. These pockets maybe cemented or stitched to the cover along their marginal edges 16, orin the case of plastic material, may be connected by heat welding in theconventional manner.

Intermediate the pockets along the sides of the cover are providedapertures 17, 18 and -19 which may be circular in shape. Three of theseopenings are illustrated in the drawing, although more or less could beincluded as desired. These openings are adapted to receive the shanks 20of the various cleaning tools 21 used in connection with the vacuumcleaner. The enlarged end portion of the tool will preclude its fallingdown through the opening with which it is associated so that it will besupported on the periphery of the opening through the cover. The shanks,however, hang down inside generally along the Wall of the canister.

In order to protect the surface of the vacuum cleaner, it is preferredto include additional sheet elements 23, 24- and 25 immediately in backof the openings 17, 18 and 19. These elements may be rectangular inpattern and secured at their vertical side edges to the inner surface ofthe cover by any suitable means such as stitching, electronic welding,or cementing. By being wider than the openings, while attached close tothem, each of the small auxiliary sheets defines a flexible trough-likedevice appropriately dimensioned to loosely receive the shank of avacuum cleaner tool.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 these protective auxiliary sheetmembers are constructed of a resilient material such as foam plastic orsponge rubber. Therefore, despite any rough handling as the tools areinserted or removed from the openings 17, 18 and 19, and even if thetools are struck by some exterior object, the shanks of the tools willnot mar the finish of the tank surface. Furthermore, the sheets 23, 24and 25 provide a shock absorbing effect that can protect the tools aswell, .to prevent damage from impact loads.

While the spongy material of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 generallyis preferred because of the added protection it affords, it is possiblealso to use relatively thin sheet material for this purpose, such aselement 26 shown in FIG. 4. This may be, for example, the same materialas utilized for the cover. While the sheet 26 has no resilient effectand thus has no particular resistance to impact, it will effectivelypreclude scratching of the canister surface as the tools are used. Itsparticular advantage lies in the extreme low cost of providing such anelement on the interior of the cover.

Thus the arrangement of this invention is very simple to manufacture andrequires no skill or extra precautions to install and use. Nevertheless,it efiectively protects the vacuum cleaner tank while at the same timeproviding convenient means for holding and retaining the various toolsand accessories that are necessary with a vacuum cleaner.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as givenby way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope of thisinvention being limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vacuum cleaner cover comprising a flexible sheet member having asubstantially horizontal top portion and substantially vertical sideportion, whereby said cover is adapted to fit over the top and sides ofa vacuum cleaner tank, the side portion of said cover having at leastone aperture therethrough for receiving the shank of a vacuum cleanertool thereby to removably support such a tool, and a protective memberdisposed behind said aperture in said sheet member, said protectivemember comprising a substantially trough like element having its axisextending substantially vertically with respect to said side portion ofsaid cover, and having vertical side portions attached to the interiorsurface of the said side portion of said cover adjacent said openingtherethrough.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 in which said protective member isconstructed of resilient sponge material.

'3. A cover fora vacuum cleaner comprising a relatively flexible sheetmember having a substantially cup-shaped contour and adapted to fit overthe top and sides of a vacuum cleaner tank, said member having at leastone aperture through the vertical Wall thereof; and an additional sheetmember, said additional sheet member having a duality of verticallyextending side edge portions attached to the interior surface of saidcover on either side of said aperture, and having a width of greaterdimension than the width of said aperture for thereby permitting theshank of a vacuum cleaner tool to be inserted' through said openingwhile precluding said shank from contacting the surface of a vacuumcleaner with which said cover is associated.

4. In combination with a tank type vacuum cleaner having a housing, aprotective device for said housing comprising a substantially cup-shapedsheet member dimensioned to fit loosely over the top and sides of saidhousing, the top of said sheet member having an aperture therethroughfor permitting access to the top of said housing, at least one aperturethrough the side portion of said sheet member adapted to receive theshank of a vacuum cleaner tool, and an additional sheet memberinterposed between said first mentioned sheet and said housing inwardlyof and adjacent said aperture, said additional sheet member havingsubstantially vertical side edges secured to the inner surface of saidsheet on either side of said aperture, and a greater Width dimensionthan that of said aperture thereby to define a path for said shank.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 in which said sheet members are ofplastic material, and said side edges of said additional sheet areattached to said inner surface by heat welding.

' 6. A device as recited in claim 4 including in addition at least onepocket located on the exterior side portion of said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,268,364 White et a1 Dec. 30, 1941 2,779,047 Osborn Jan. 29, 19572,825,087 Meyerhoefer Mar. 4, 1958 2,935,760 Martinec May 10, 1960

1. A VACUUM CLEANER COVER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE SHEET MEMBER HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TOP PORTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDEPORTION, WHEREBY SAID COVER IS ADAPTED TO FIT OVER THE TOP AND SIDES OFA VACUUM CLEANER TANK, THE SIDE PORTION OF SAID COVER HAVING AT LEASTONE APERTURE THERETHROUGH FOR RECEIVING THE SHANK OF A VACUUM CLEANERTOOL THEREBY TO REMOVABLY SUPPORT SUCH A TOOL, AND A PROTECTIVE MEMBERDISPOSED BEHIND SAID APERTURE IN SAID SHEET MEMBER, SAID PROTECTIVEMEMBER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY TROUGH-LIKE ELEMENT HAVING ITS AXISEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID SIDE PORTION OFSAID COVER, AND HAVING VERTICAL SIDE PORTIONS ATTACHED TO THE INTERIORSURFACE OF THE SAID SIDE PORTION OF SAID COVER ADJACENT SAID OPENINGTHERETHROUGH.